This Crazy Chocolate Cake, also known as Depression Cake or Wacky Cake came about during the Great Depression. Made without eggs, butter and milk and all in the pan that it is cooked it, this is a delicious and very easy cake that everyone will enjoy.
Crazy Chocolate Cake
When faced with scarcity of certain foods, households had to use what they had as a substitute for certain ingredients without sacrificing the flavour. As mentioned before, this cake is made without eggs, butter and milk, using white vinegar, oil, water and vanilla extract as the wet ingredients.
After placing all the dry ingredients in an ungreased baking tray, three wells are made and one wet ingredient is dropped into each well. Once mixed through, the cake is baked. It can be iced with your favourite chocolate icing. For this recipe, I used apple cider vinegar and a light olive oil, though you could use white vinegar instead of the apple cider and canola or vegetable oil instead of the olive oil.
This recipe can also be made into cupcakes, just mix the ingredients in a bowl and spoon into a lined muffin tray.
When unfrosted, this cake can be stored in the fridge, wrapped in plastic wrap. If you have adding icing, then allow the icing to harden before loosing covering the cake in plastic and storing in the fridge. I have also stored mine in an airtight container in the fridge as well.
This cake can also be frozen as well. If unfrosted, wrap and place in the freezer. If frosted, freeze on a tray in the freezer before wrapping so the icing doesn’t transfer to the plastic wrap.
Ingredients for this Wacky Chocolate Cake
To make this cake, you will need:
- Plain Flour
- White Sugar
- Salt
- Bicarbonate of Soda, otherwise known as baking soda
- Cocoa
- Oil such as olive, canola, sunflower, vegetable
- Vinegar such as apple cider or white
- Vanilla Extract
- Water
Making this Chocolate Cake
Preheat oven to 180˚C.
In an uncreased round or 9×9 square or 9×13 inch lamington tray, add the plain flour, cocoa, sugar, salt and bicarbonate of soda.
Using a whisk or a fork, stir the ingredients together until they are somewhat blended.
Using a spoon or a fork, make two small and one slightly larger depressions in the cake mix.
In the large depression, add the oil.
In one of the smaller depressions, add the vinegar.
In the other small depression, add the vanilla.
Gently pour the cold water over all the ingredients.
Using a whisk or a fork, gently stir the ingredients until they are fully combined. Make sure to mix in the mixture in the corners if using a square or rectangle pan.
Gently tap the pan on the countertop to smooth out the top and release any bubbles that may be in your mixture.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean.
Remove from oven and cool completely before decorating and serving.
Serving Depression Cake
This cake can be served with icing sugar (confectioners sugar) sprinkled over the top, or you can make some yummy chocolate buttercream icing to put on top.
It can also be served with custard or ice cream.
Variations
- Try substituting the cup of water with a cup of brewed coffee.
- Other icing ideas include: peanut butter icing, salted caramel icing and even cookie dough icing.
- Use the mixture to make cupcakes instead of one large cake. The baking time will need to be adjusted to around 15-20 minutes. Check with a skewer before removing from the oven.
Storing Crazy Chocolate Cake
Once cooled, store in an airtight container in the fridge, especially if you have iced it.
This cake can also be frozen. Once cooled, cover with plastic wrap, and then a layer of aluminium foil and label before placing in the freezer for up to three months. You could also use a freezer-safe container. It can be frozen as a whole cake or in individual slices.
To thaw, remove from the freezer and set on the counter for around 30 minutes up to an hour, until it is fully thawed.
If freezing, ice after you have thawed it out.
More Recipes
- Homemade Instant Pancake Mix
- Make your own Baking Powder
- How to make Brown Sugar
- Homemade Buttermilk
- Slow-Cooker Caramel in a Can
Crazy Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups Plain Flour
- 1 tsp Vanilla
- 1 cup White Sugar
- ½ tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
- ¼ cup Cocoa
- 5 TBSP Oil, vegetable, canola, sunflower or light olive oil
- 1 TBSP Vinegar, white or apple cider
- 1 cup Water, cold
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180˚C .
- In an ungreased round, or 9x9 inch square or a 9x13inch lamington tray, add the plain flour, cocoa, sugar, salt, and bicarbonate of soda.
- Using a whisk or a fork, stir the ingredients together until they are somewhat blended.
- Using a fork or spoon, make two small and one slightly larger depressions in the cake mix.
- In the large depression, add the oil.
- In one of the small depressions, add the vinegar.
- In the other small depression, add the vanilla extract.
- Gently pour the cold water over all of the ingredients.
- Using the fork or whisk, gently stir the ingredients until they are fully combined. Make sure to mix in the mixture in the corners if using a square or rectangular pan.
- Gently tap the pan on the countertop to smooth out the top and release any bubbles that may be in your mixture.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes until a skewer comes out clean.
- Remove from oven and cool completely before decorating and serving.
- Ice with your favourite icing, or sprinkle with icing sugar / powdered sugar.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided as a courtesy. The values may vary according to the ingredients and tools that are used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed information.
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